Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Family Analysis

What is family? By a traditional definition, a family is two adults with children or a child. In the first chapter of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass talks about not really knowing his family, He was able to only meet his mother for a few short moments of his life before she died, and once she did, he wasn’t even able to go to her funeral. “Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger”( pg. 3) That maternal bond that some us are able to have, was taken from him. Regarding his father, he didn’t know much regarding the dynamic of the relationship …show more content…
Throughout the book, I’m noticing these strong familial friendships that Douglass is making. When he was deciding to run away, one thing that was hindering him was that fact that he would leave his friends behind. “The fact was, we cared but little where we went, so we went together. Our greatest concern was about separation. We dreaded that more than any thing this side of death.” (pg. 78) The community of friends that he made on the farm was a heartfelt one. There really is a deep connection between them. They would have died for each other, they confided in each other, they loved each other. His friends were his family. This shows how strong his relationships were and this definitely was not the only time. He learned how to read and write from a friend that eventually became his wife. After he escaped, he got by with the help from friends. Even before the narrative really starts, in the preface, he talks about the things that he is incredibly grateful about, and friendship is one of the first things he mentions “…fortunate for a large circle of friends and acquaintances, whose sympathy and affection he has strongly secured by the many sufferings he has